The present invention relates to computer-based multiplayer card games in which players select cards that follow the rules of poker.
The game of poker is well known and the rules can be found in nearly every card game rule book. In the game of poker cards are dealt to each player. Players may have a chance to improve their hand by discarding some of their cards, and receiving replacements, as in draw poker, or more cards may be dealt than needed and the best cards retained, as in the seven-card variations of poker. Various rounds of betting take place after dealing and after drawing. In five-card stud poker, one card is dealt face down and the four remaining cards are dealt face up one at a time with a round of betting after each face up card is dealt. In all variations of poker, when the betting rounds are completed, the remaining players expose their hands and the winning player collects the money bet. The outcome is determined by the combinations of cards in the exposed hands. Those combinations are well knownxe2x80x94high card, one pair, two pair, three-of-a-kind, straight, flush, full house, four-of-a-kind, and straight flushxe2x80x94and are described in nearly every card game rule book.
Unfortunately, in poker good combinations such as a straight flush, four-of-a-kind and full house are rare. Most people are reluctant to bet much when they hold only one or two pair. As a result, too many people drop out of the betting early, which may frustrate even people with good hands. One common solution is to introduce wild cards to increase the chances of receiving a good hand and thus keep the game interesting, but getting a wild card involves more luck than skill.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,662,637 to A. Pfeiffer discloses a method of playing a card game in which the players select desired cards which are delivered to players unless a player requests the same card that another player has requested during the same round of play or was dealt on a previous round, in which case a null card, having no value in determining the outcome of the game, is delivered to the requesting player. Poker rules are used to determine the outcome of the game.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,667,959 to A. Pfeiffer discloses a selector unit and card-storage carousel for playing a card game disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,662,637.
Many games are now played on computers and the concept of playing card games over a network such as the Internet is well-known. Patents have been granted to new card games that include claims which cover playing the game over the Internet. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,951,012 discloses a poker game where the amount of successive wagers is pre-established by the players; this game may be played on the Internet. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 6,012,720 discloses xe2x80x9cenhanced featuresxe2x80x9d of the card game Double Hand; this game may also be played on the Internet.
None of the prior art, however, discloses how to play a computerized card game with multiple variations where a player vies with other players, real and/or virtual, to choose cards that will result in the best possible hand.
The invention is a method of playing computerized multi-player card games, usually variations of poker, where the quality of players"" hands is due to skill and strategy rather than xe2x80x9cthe luck of the draw.xe2x80x9d Players request desired cards from a separate dealer without knowledge of which cards other players have requested. A null card, which has no value in determining the outcome of the game, is delivered to players who request the same card as another player has requested regardless of whether the card was requested previously or during the current round. In another embodiment, a null card is delivered only when two or more players request the same card during the current round or if a player requests a card that has already been distributed.
In one embodiment, each player has a copy of the software for the game on his/her computer, which is connected to a network. The software is configured as client-side software. Players connect to a server which runs the same software (although configured as server-side software) as the players and play the game over the Internet. The server assigns players to playing sessions, populates those sessions with virtual players if there aren""t enough real players to fill that session, controls the virtual players, determines which player should receive which cards, keeps score, tracks the order of play, etc.
This invention offers substantial improvements over the game initially disclosed by the inventor in U.S. Pat. No. 4,662,637. The patented method only describes one method of playing the game. Also, players need to use the selector unit and carousel for storing cards disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,667,959 in order to play the game.
This invention discloses a new card game, in which a player receives a null card if he or she requests a card that has been requested in previous rounds or by another player in the current round. This innovation makes the game far more challenging than previous versions in terms of selection and betting strategies. This invention also allows players to play the previously patented version and allows players to choose which game (five card stud, draw poker, etc.) they wish to play.
This invention improves the player""s game-playing experience. When the game is played on a computer, the software can track the selection of cards, the order of selection, the delivery order of cards, the delivery of cards, the betting order, the amount each player bets, and the overall score, or total, for each player. In the non-computerized version, the players have to track these details on their own which may lead to confusion and delays in the game. When the game is played on a computer, the software also displays to each player which card was selected during each previous round, whereas in the non-computerized version, each player had to memorize both the value and round of each card they selected on a previous round that resulted in a null card being dealt to them. The invention also allows the game to be played at a faster pace, allowing players to spend more time actually playing the game than waiting for routine chores to be completed. For instance, once all the players have communicated to the dealer what card they want, delivery of the cards to the players is instantaneous (distribution of cards could take as long as 15 seconds using the prior art""s selection unit and carousel). Also, the software can calculate and post scores much faster than individuals playing the non-computerized version. Once a game is completed, the next game can begin immediately. The prior art""s selector unit and carousel requires cards to be reloaded after every game; this can take as long as thirty seconds. The prior art selector unit and carousel also required specially labeled cards in order to operate; the present invention does not require similar accessories.
Finally, because this game is played on the Internet, players are now able to play the game whenever they wish instead of being limited to playing at times only when they are in a room with a suitable number of other players. Players may also play with other real players, virtual players controlled by the software, or a combination of the two. Players may also choose to play against a chosen group of players or against randomly selected players.